I knew there had to be a scientific reason....
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Pull my finger
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Arizona
I knew there had to be a scientific reason....
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14059947?GT1=8307
Tots with sensitive taste buds eat fewer veggies
Some children may be innately fussy eaters, study shows
Reuters
NEW YORK - Preschoolers who are sensitive to bitter flavors may be especially likely to turn their noses up at vegetables, a new study shows.
In an experiment with 65 preschool children, researchers found that those whose taste buds were particularly attuned to detecting bitterness were less likely to eat their veggies. In some cases, they balked at eating not only bitter vegetables, like broccoli and olives, but also sweeter fare like carrots and red peppers.
The findings suggest that innately sensitive taste buds help explain why some children are so staunchly opposed to vegetables, the study authors report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
In recent years, scientists have identified a gene, dubbed TAS2R38, that controls a receptor for bitter flavor. A study published last year found that children with certain variations of that gene are particularly sensitive tasters, able to detect a very small amount of a bitter-tasting compound in water.
When children in the current study were tested in the same way, 37 percent of them said the water tasted “yucky” or bad, while the rest couldn’t taste anything and were considered “nontasters.”
When the children were given free range to snack on bitter-tasting vegetables (broccoli, olives and cucumbers) and sweeter ones (carrots and red peppers), the sensitive kids ate significantly fewer bitter vegetables.
And while only 8 percent of nontaster children refused all of the vegetables, 32 percent of the sensitive tasters did so.
Make vegetables tastier
So what should parents make of all this? According to the researchers, parents of fussy eaters should recognize that their children may not be having the same taste experience that they are.
“Parents should try not to project their own food preferences onto their children,” said study co-author Dr. Beverly J. Tepper, a professor of food science at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
A nontaster parent who loves broccoli, for instance, may have a more bitter-sensitive child who simply doesn’t enjoy the greens in the same way, she explained.
That doesn’t mean, however, that bitter-sensitive tykes are destined to shun vegetables their whole lives —a potential comfort to parents who regularly engage in mealtime struggles.
“We do change our food preferences as we grow and learn,” Tepper said, noting that the “impact of genetics isn’t set in stone.”
Whether there’s a more immediate fix to the bitter-sensitivity issue is unclear. A tasty sauce might make vegetables more palatable to a sensitive child, but dousing veggies with toppings may not be the most nutritionally sound choice, Tepper noted.
Serving vegetables cooked rather than raw might help, she said, since cooking takes some of the bite out.
Copyright 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters
BTW I hated veggies when I was a kid... now I like them :dunno:
h:
Tots with sensitive taste buds eat fewer veggies
Some children may be innately fussy eaters, study shows
Reuters
NEW YORK - Preschoolers who are sensitive to bitter flavors may be especially likely to turn their noses up at vegetables, a new study shows.
In an experiment with 65 preschool children, researchers found that those whose taste buds were particularly attuned to detecting bitterness were less likely to eat their veggies. In some cases, they balked at eating not only bitter vegetables, like broccoli and olives, but also sweeter fare like carrots and red peppers.
The findings suggest that innately sensitive taste buds help explain why some children are so staunchly opposed to vegetables, the study authors report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
In recent years, scientists have identified a gene, dubbed TAS2R38, that controls a receptor for bitter flavor. A study published last year found that children with certain variations of that gene are particularly sensitive tasters, able to detect a very small amount of a bitter-tasting compound in water.
When children in the current study were tested in the same way, 37 percent of them said the water tasted “yucky” or bad, while the rest couldn’t taste anything and were considered “nontasters.”
When the children were given free range to snack on bitter-tasting vegetables (broccoli, olives and cucumbers) and sweeter ones (carrots and red peppers), the sensitive kids ate significantly fewer bitter vegetables.
And while only 8 percent of nontaster children refused all of the vegetables, 32 percent of the sensitive tasters did so.
Make vegetables tastier
So what should parents make of all this? According to the researchers, parents of fussy eaters should recognize that their children may not be having the same taste experience that they are.
“Parents should try not to project their own food preferences onto their children,” said study co-author Dr. Beverly J. Tepper, a professor of food science at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
A nontaster parent who loves broccoli, for instance, may have a more bitter-sensitive child who simply doesn’t enjoy the greens in the same way, she explained.
That doesn’t mean, however, that bitter-sensitive tykes are destined to shun vegetables their whole lives —a potential comfort to parents who regularly engage in mealtime struggles.
“We do change our food preferences as we grow and learn,” Tepper said, noting that the “impact of genetics isn’t set in stone.”
Whether there’s a more immediate fix to the bitter-sensitivity issue is unclear. A tasty sauce might make vegetables more palatable to a sensitive child, but dousing veggies with toppings may not be the most nutritionally sound choice, Tepper noted.
Serving vegetables cooked rather than raw might help, she said, since cooking takes some of the bite out.
Copyright 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters
BTW I hated veggies when I was a kid... now I like them :dunno:
h:
Better Than Canada!
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Baltimore, MD
wow, I learned that in one of my bio classes like 3 years ago and it was backed up by a few studies then. I'm glad they wasted their time comfirming for themselves what other studies had already found 
Senior Member
Joined: May 2005
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From: middle of nowheres
My kids love veggies, i have no problem getting them to eat em. My boy is 24 lbs 13oz right now, so he is good and healthy. And will be a year old saturday. 
I love veggies too, broccoli and cheese is the shyt!
I love veggies too, broccoli and cheese is the shyt!
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 5,152
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From: Golden, CO
Black txt on black background FTL.
Otherwise, this confirms what I've been saying my whole life. I'm sorry, but there are just some food items I that I think taste disgusting, and there's nothing I can do about it. Stop saying "How can you not like _____?!?"
Otherwise, this confirms what I've been saying my whole life. I'm sorry, but there are just some food items I that I think taste disgusting, and there's nothing I can do about it. Stop saying "How can you not like _____?!?"
Be Quiet and Drive
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,118
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From: Putney, Vermont
Originally Posted by pierced1
I love veggies too, broccoli and cheese is the shyt!
Broccoli and cheese along with sweet corn w/ butter rock my world... mmmmmm
damn you... i'm hungry now
h:
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 21,463
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From: Charlotte, NC
Originally Posted by 93hondablk
broccoli with melted cheese :drool:
and I freakin' LOVE lima beans. (the way my mom cooks them, anyway)
the only vegetable I don't like are green beans. Can't stand them.